*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of Mass

From Middle English messe, from Old English mæsse and Old French messe, both from Late Latin missa, from Latin mittō (“to send, dismiss”), compare French messe. In the ancient churches, the public services at which the c

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

The principal liturgical service of the Church, encompassing both a scripture service (Liturgy of the Word) and a eucharistic service (Liturgy of the Eucharist), which includes the consecration and oblation (offering) of the host and wine. · A similar ceremony offered by a number of Christian churches. · A musical composition set to portions, or all, of the Mass.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English messe, from Old English mæsse and Old French messe, both from Late Latin missa, from Latin mittō (“to send, dismiss”), compare French messe. In the ancient churches, the public services at which the catechumens were permitted to be present were called missa catechumenorum, ending with the reading of the Gospel. Then they were dismissed with the words: "Ite, missa est", the congregation is dismissed. After that the sacrifice proper began. At its close the same words were said to those who remained. So the word gave the name of Mass to the sacrifice in the Catholic Church. Compare Christmas, Lammas, missal. Doublet of missa.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*mey- (change)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "messe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English messe"
    },
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      },
      "expansion": "Old English mæsse"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
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        "2": "fro",
        "3": "messe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French messe"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-lat",
        "3": "missa"
      },
      "expansion": "Late Latin missa"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "mittō",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to send, dismiss"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin mittō (“to send, dismiss”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "messe"
      },
      "expansion": "French messe"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "missa"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of missa"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "messe",
      "messe#Middle_English"
    ],
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    ],
    [
      "messe",
      "messe#Old_French"
    ],
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      "missa",
      "missa#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "mittō",
      "mitto#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "messe",
      "messe#French"
    ],
    [
      "missa catechumenorum",
      "missa catechumenorum"
    ],
    [
      "Christmas",
      "Christmas#English"
    ],
    [
      "Lammas",
      "Lammas#English"
    ],
    [
      "missal",
      "missal#English"
    ],
    [
      "missa",
      "missa#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "glosses": [
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        "A similar ceremony offered by a number of Christian churches.",
        "A musical composition set to portions, or all, of the Mass."
      ],
      "tags": [
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
name

Abbreviation of Massachusetts. · Alternative form of Mas.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Short forms.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
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        "Abbreviation of Massachusetts.",
        "Alternative form of Mas."
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Mass →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-TWFzcw